Joke-box.



No. 871,252. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907. e. E. AMES,

JOKE BOX.

APPLIOATIQN FILED NOV. 14, 1906.

O 771/ ,1? f f d Qij 3 g r M GEORGE E. AMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

JOKE-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed November 14, 1906. Serial No. 343.349.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Arms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joke-Boxes, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had to 'theaccompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

, The primary object of this invention is to afford amusement, but it may be used as a decoy'todetect the unauthorized opening of mail matter or other packages.

It consists essentially of a box, such for example as a jewel or cigarette case, containing mechanism for exploding a percussion capor detonating powder and making a loud report when the box is opened, and of certain novel features of construction and the peculiar arrangement and combination of parts'hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of mechanism embodying the present invention as applied to a jewel case, the case being open to expose the mechanism to view and the hammer being turned back and held by the detent ready for loading or placing a cap on the holder; and Fig. 2 is a section on the broken line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the case closed, a cap in place on the holder and the hammer released by the detent and held back by the cover of the case.

For the purpose of illustration, the mechanism for producing a loud report when the box isopenedis shown as applied to a jewel case, but it may be applied with like effect to other boxes having hinged or removable covers, such as cigar, cigarette or pipe cases and the like.

The body a of the case which contains the mechanism, has a hinged or removable cover b, a spring latch c for holding the cover closed, and a push button or operating piece (1 for disengaging the latch from the cover.

As a suitable foundation for the mechanism, a metal base plate 6 is riveted or other- Wise secured to the bottom of the case on the inside. From this plate is struck up one or more spurs or points f, upon which an ordinary percussion cap 9 such as are used in toy pistols, may be impaled, as shown in Fig. 2 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. A

hammer head It is secured to a looped arm i of spring wire, the ends of which are coiled in opposite directions around a rod j to form spiral springs k for throwing the ham mer head with considerable force against the plate 0 between the spurs or points which constitute the cap holder. The rod is supported at its ends in cars Z struck up from the plate 6.

For setting the mechanism and holding the hammer back while a cap is being placed on the holder and' the case is open, the case is provided with a detent m consisting of a wire hook projecting through and movable lengthwise of a transverse slot n in the base plate 6 into and out of engagement with the hammer arm i. The shank 0 of this hook is guided in a transverse groove in the under side of the plate 6 and projects at its outer end through one side of the case when the hook is engaged with the hammer arm, as shown in Fig. 1.

To support the hammer and prevent its being thrust out of place by the disengage ment of the detent m from the hammer arm i, a stop. p is struck up from the plate e in position to engage the hammer head. h on one side when it is turned back, as shown in Fig. 1.

The device is set, loaded. and operated as follows: The hammer is first turned back and locked by the detent 'm, as shown in Fig. 1., a cap g is then stuck on one or both of the spurs or points The cover of the case being closed and engaged by the spring catch 0, the shank 0 of the detent is thrust in, thus releasing the hammer, which is now caught and held by the cover I), as shown in Fig. 2. The case, which is to be made of attractive appearance, being handed in this condition to a person unaware of its contents, is naturally opened by pressing the exposed button (1. As soon however, as the catch is disengaged, the hammer is released and.thrown by its spring arm forcibly against the cap {1, which is exploded with aloud report, to the surprise of the person who opens the box and the amusement of spectators. The cover, which is thrown open by the force of the hammer spring, serves as a shield to prevent fragments of the exploded cap from being thrown into the face of the person opening the box or causing injury to persons standing near by.

I claim:

1. A jokebox having a cover hinged thereto and a catch for holding the cover closed and provided with a cap holder and with a spring actuated hammer arranged to be restrained by engagement with the closed cover and to be released with the cover by disengagement of the cover holding catch, substantially as described.

2. In a joke box the combination with a case having a coverand a catch for holding the cover closed, of capexplodingmechanism contained in the case and comprising a cap holder, a spring actuated hammer, arranged to be restrained by the closed cover, and a detent releasable from outside the case for setting and holding the hammer back while a cap is being placed on the holder and the cover is being closed, substantially as described.

3. In a joke box the combination with a case having a hinged cover, a catch for holding the cover closed, and an exposed catchreleasing piece, of a cap holder within the case, a hammer pivotally mounted in the case in position to strike a cap on said holder, a spring tending to throw the hammer towards the cap holder, and a detent releasable from outside the case for holding the hamsecured in said case and provided with a cap holding spur, a hammer consisting of a spring arm provided, at one end with a head and coiled at the other end around a rod which is mounted on said base plate, and a hooked detent projecting through a transverse slot in, said plate and movable therein into and out of engagement with the hammer arm, the shank of said detent projecting outside of the case when the detent is caught over the hammer arm, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. AMES. 7 Witnesses:

MARIE BURKART, CoRA W. CUTTs. 

